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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · mate · wake · squash · lie · charge · mouse · season

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. season — of the year
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. content — happy
  5. squash — the sport
  6. mate — a friend
  7. charge — electricity
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wake — a trail
  11. squash — to crush
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. content — the amount
  14. lie — to recline
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — in sport
  17. charge — a price
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com